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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Lonely Is an Eyesore is a compilation of music by artists on the 4AD label released in June 1987. It was originally available on LP, CD, cassette, and in a limited edition wooden box containing all audio formats, video tape, and etchings. A VHS and Beta compilation of music videos for all the songs was released as well. The CD was re-released in the 1990s. The album title comes from the track 'Fish' by Throwing Muses, at that time the newest signing to the label.

The title track on this EP may best typify the Queers' music - it's the Beach Boys + the Ramones. Joe has that great fender strat with distortion sound, it's a I-IV-V chord progression, and the lyrics are pleasantly mindless and sung to a great, major-scale melody. I couldn't ask for more.

Between 1988 and 1991, the Pixies performed six sessions at the BBC, playing on a variety of programs. For years, these sessions were hot bootleg items, especially since their first session for John Peel (on May 3, 1988) featured two otherwise unreleased covers -- the Beatles' "Wild Honey Pie" and "(In Heaven) Lady in the Radiator Song," from Eraserhead. It took Elektra/4AD until 1998 to release the six sessions, and when the 15-track Pixies at the BBC did appear, it was a mixed blessing. Certainly, the music itself is pretty terrific -- none of the versions are radically different (although "Wave of Mutilation" is performed in its "UK Surf Arrangement" from the "Here Comes Your Man" single, not the Doolittle version), but each cut is raw and vital, and recasting "Wild Honey Pie" as pure primal dementia was brilliant. What is suspect is the presentation. Instead of keeping each session intact, the compilers have assembled individual tracks in seemingly random order so the disc bounces from 1989 to 1991 to 1988 to 1990. For an archival release, such tactics are infuriating -- the sessions make more sense in chronological order, as most bootleggers know. Still, not every hardcore fan can track bootlegs down, nor is he willing to shell out the cash, which makes Pixies at the BBC a welcome (and overdue) addition to the official Pixies catalog. (Be aware, though, that the full-price disc clocks in at about 35 minutes.)

The Psychedelic Furs acquired a million or so more fans in 1986 after they re-recorded their early '80s classic "Pretty in Pink" for the John Hughes box-office smash of the same name. The Top-40 success of "Heartbreak Beat" a year later took the once enigmatic new wave band further into the mainstream. 1988's All of This and Nothing is basically a tutorial for late Furs converts. The group's original followers probably have most of the lyrics memorized, but the album is an accessible and enlightening introduction to the band. "Imitation of Christ" and "Sister Europe" are from the group's self-titled 1980 debut, and their dark, ragged edges offer a glimpse of the band's less commercial younger days. On the gorgeous "Love My Way" the Furs have more of a pop flavor, giving hints at the group's subsequent transformation. It was on 1984's Mirror Moves that the Psychedelic Furs completely softened their abrasiveness and began writing warm, keyboard-laden songs. Accused of selling out at the time by diehard aficionados, the Psychedelic Furs actually improved on Mirror Moves; their music became more pleasing to the ear, as exemplified on the hauntingly beautiful ballad "The Ghost in You" and the soaring "Heaven". Richard Butler's voice remained as raspy as ever, but it took on a more romantic tone that was very appealing. 1987's ultra slick Midnight to Midnight is represented here by the aforementioned "Heartbreak Beat". "Heartbreak Beat" has silly, clichéd lyrics (i.e. "There's a heartbreak beat/And it feels like love"; nevertheless, its nonsense hooks are deliriously catchy. With ts swirling guitars and sarcastic lyrics, "All That Money Wants" was seen as a return to the Furs of old when it was included as a new track on All of This and Nothing. It's not. The tune merely combines the dissonance of their first full-length with their stronger melodic sensibilities in the mid-'80s. All of This and Nothing effectively summarizes the Psychedelic Furs' evolution from a left-of-center British rock band to a stylish alternative pop act.

The short and sharp debut EP by one of the greatest alternative bands in music history and some of the godfathers of indie rock, too. The Pixies are already on top form here; while the band would improve upon "Vamos" later on Surfer Rosa this EP still contains two of my favorite Pixies tracks, specifically the first and last songs. The longing, mournful "Caribou" contains one of my favorite concepts in a song ever, and on "Levitate Me" the Pixies reach a fervor unmatched perhaps anywhere else in their career. Not bad for their first twenty minutes on record.

R.E.M. has a catalog of great, distinct songs that would be hard to tackle without seeming second rate compared to the originals. That is why this compilation of covers is so interesting, because the bands twist and shape these songs into their own unique renditions that often only have a passing resemblance to the source. The album covers their entire career up to that point, which leaves off at 1991's classic Out of Time. Although some are basically feedback drenched versions of the originals, several tracks are vastly different. The most striking is Vic Chestnutt's take on "It's the End of the World as We Know It," an endless repetition of the first lyric of the song set to a hypnotic acoustic backdrop. Other interesting highlights include Just Say Now's hardcore remake of "Radio Free Europe" and Jawbox's depressing post-punk take of "Low." Many of the songs do not come near to the quality of the originals, but this is definitely a testament to the songwriting skills of Michael Stipe's crew. This would serve well as an introduction to R.E.M. for those who may be too cynical to listen to it on their own, but fans of the band may feel disappointed by how far these covers stray from the originals.

Tracks

1. Just Say No - Radio Free Europe

2. Band of Susans - 1,000,000

3. Gumball - Stumble

4. Steel Pole Bath Tub - We Walk

5. Samson & The Philistines - Talk About the Passion

6. Jawbreaker - Pretty Persuasion

7. J Church - (Don't Go Back To) Rockville

8. Phleg Camp - Feeling Gravity's Pull

9. The Mr. T Experience - Can't Get There From Here

10.Flor De Mal - Good Advices

11.The Punchline - Bandwagon

12.When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water - I Believe

13.Vic Chesnutt - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

"Sister Europe" is a song by English band The Psychedelic Furs from the band's 1980 self-titled debut album. Written by the band and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was released in February 1980 as the album's second single.

For the first few years of their existence, the Primitives had to weather an endless stream of comparisons to Blondie, even though all the two groups had in common was a devotion to pure pop songcraft and way-cute peroxide-headed lead singers (in the Primitives' case, the adorable and euphoniously named Tracy Tracey). In reality, the Primitives were like the Buzzcocks by way of the Jesus and Mary Chain, with a heavy dose of the Archies as well. Guitarist Paul Court's songs were terrifically catchy, and as this well-chosen hits selection (heavy on their terrific first two albums, justifiably light on the disappointing third) shows the group's surprising versatility, from the full-on buzzsaw pop of "Stop Killing Me" to the winsome, plaintive "Don't Want Anything to Change." As a bonus, this set adds noisy lo-fi demos of their twin pinnacles "Secrets" and "Crash" and a dose of B-sides, including a lovely version of Marianne Faithfull's arrangement of the Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By."

Merkinball is in fact a single but strangely enough it doesn't have neither of the songs' titles so it goes as an EP. Weird enough, isn't it?

Both songs are great and could've been on any of the previous three PJ albums. Especially on Ten or Vs. There is none of the slightly overwhelming artsy nature of Vitalogy here. I Got ID is a relaxing alternative rock song and Long Road is a touching ballad. None of these are the second comings of Rearviewmirror, Jeremy or Spin the Black Circle, but both would've been great solid tracks on the regular albums.

A standout effort from the Jam boys this time and I think this is better than Vitalogy which aside the highlights, had some severely bad stuff. These two are just two great song in great PJ fashion. But don't pay too much for this little 11 minute EP, you may get these songs on some compilations, I guess.

The loud-and-fast, campy-and-catchy formula began to wear a little thin by the time of the Ramones' fourth album, Road to Ruin. Following the exact same blueprint as its three predecessors, Road to Ruin simply doesn't yield the same results as the other records. In part, it's because the band sounds a little forced on the harder numbers, but the main problem lies with the undistinguished material. "I Wanna Be Sedated" is a classic, and "Questioningly" proves that the Ramones are just as effective when they slow the tempo down, yet much of the record sounds like the Ramones trying to give the people what they want. Since they were still in their prime, such nondescript material sounds good, but the record has neither the exuberant energy or abundant hooks of Ramones and Rocket to Russia, and it's the first suggestion that the Ramones may have painted themselves into a corner.

Before the Ramones hit it big (OK, they were never as big as the Sex Pistols, but hey, they're the Ramones!) with their self-titled debut album in 1976, there was this little nugget flying around. Recorded on September 19, 1975 at 914 Studios, Blauvelt, New York, Judy's In The Basement was released as a 10-inch EP by Hit & Run Records, and made in East Berlin. The liner notes also state that the songs were produced by Tommy Erdelyi. At that time, the Ramones were PUNK. But then, given the simplicity of the songs, the catchy melodies, the singalong-ness of their tunes and those bombastic chords (never mind that they were the same three or four ones) - it's hard not to like the Ramones and doubly hard not to be inspired by them. For many, the idea of the Ramones might be boiled down to this: it's so simple anyone can do it! But the Ramones were being themselves and the fans understood this. So here are the Ramones again... hungry and eager to play and before they got swept away by their new-found fame which their debut album would unleash. Just how could anyone not want to sing along with I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend? And in the immortal words of Joey Ramone, "Hey ho, let's go!"

Leathers From New York? It’s a strange compilation, really. It’s an Italian issue released in 1997 comprised of four “rarities” and housed in a rather large booklet referred to as a “sonic book”.

In spite of all the its elaborate packaging, Leathers From New York is a bit of a waste of space, sadly. The liner notes, written in both English and Italian, are an erroneous text book version of the bands history authored by what must have been the most lethargic aloof author available.

Most of the “rarities” have all since been issued as bonus tracks on the bands official catalogue. Joey’s rendition of ‘The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs’ is taken from the John Cage tribute album Caged / Uncaged: A Rock / Experimental Homage to John Cage. ‘Chop Suey’ is taken from the Get Crazy movie soundtrack.

This is where it all starts. Without any reminiscing about their former band, Operation Ivy, Matt Freeman (bass) and Tim Armstrong (guitar/vocals) blast through their debut without any hints of ska or blatant Clash plagiarizing. On the contrary, this album rips through 15 tracks of high-energy punk that's accompanied by heavy bass leads and Armstrong's permanently slurred vocals. And to top it all off, the lyrical content deals with urban blight and the lifestyle of being a public nuisance. With this trademark sound, Rancid provide the perfect soundtrack for any car chase that includes massive property damage; is it a wonder MTV wouldn't touch this?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A solid follow-up to the monster Let's Face It. Ironically, though, the "ska craze" was over and no one was paying attention anymore. Pay Attention sounds a lot like Let's Face It, but the songs don't seem as well-written; there's not really a stand-out track like "The Impression That I Get" to support it.

I dont' think this was meant to be taken too seriously, a few fun covers done in typical Bosstones style. They do a nice job of taking "Sweet Emotion" and twisting it into a punk styled tune that resembles Aerosmith's original in name only. With "Enter Sandman" though, it seems that the Bosstones fall into the trap of trying to recreate Metallica. Maybe it was intentional, maybe they just couldn't come up with a better way to pay tribute to the song but it's a little dissapointing regardless. The biggest highlight on the EP is Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," the Bosstones offer a sped up, raucous and more fun version, that caps off the EP nicely.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Their 2000 eponymous album it probably the harshest of their career. This may be a problem for some who seek the catchy sounds of Let's Go or ...and Out Come the Wolves but the album's tracks still contain strong melodies, just not on the same level. This track is very good but not mind-blowing.

Celebrate the Bullet failed to live up to the promise of the band's debut. It has its moments but those can all be found on the collection, Selected Selecter Selections. In 2001, Captain Oi! reissued the album with four bonus tracks.

We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It is the full name of the all-female indie pop quartet often known as Fuzzbox. Crossing noisy, enthusiastically amateurish punk à la the Slits with the bright pop harmonies of new wavers like the Bangles and the Go-Go's, Fuzzbox was one of the bands included on NME's now-legendary C-86 cassette sampler in 1986, and became pop stars in the U.K. for a short time in the late '80s.

They aren't the greatest musicians but this album is just plain fun. Vickie Perks has a great voice which just matches this type of music. Their version of "Spirit In The Sky" is just well... lets say very different from the original. Just a great album to listen to.

Dischord 1981: The Year in Seven Inches tells the story of the origins of the one of the first hardcore punk labels and the early D.C. hardcore scene. When the Teen Idles had no one to release their posthumous record, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson took $600 in the band's gig money and made it themselves. Like every band on this album, the Teen Idles were meagerly recorded on a four-track, giving them a raw sound that came to characterize the early hardcore scene. The album kicks off with "Teen Idles," a 44-second anthem that ends with the memorable line "We're as idle as teens can get." Debuts of four other D.C. bands follow. A young Henry Garfield (later known as Henry Rollins) is heard chanting with S.O.A. (State of Alert). With the breakup of the Teen Idles, Nelson and MacKaye went onto form Minor Threat, whose classics "Straight Edge" and "Minor Threat" appear along with "In My Eyes" and "Out of Step" from its second EP. The hard-driving, super-fast songs of Government Issue and Youth Brigade bring the record's total to 48 tracks, all for eight bucks.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

This 7? bootleg was the band’s first demo from 1980. The sound quality is raw, much rawer than the official EP and the source seems to be a seventh generation tape dub – but that’s what positively adds to the overwhelming emergency of this.

A great CD to play at a party if you love Korn but everyone else does not. this is Korn but in that techno sort of revamped way that alters the song completly. this is not in a bad way but just not the typical Korn way of doing things.

"Eighties" is Killing Joke's first single off their fifth studio album, Night Time. It was originally released in April, 1984[1] under E'G Records as a 12" and 7" single and was produced by Chris Kimsey. The 12" single A-side featured the track "Eighties (Serious Dance Mix)" with "Eighties" and "Eighties (The Coming Mix)" as B-sides. The 7" single exempted the "Serious Dance Mix" and instead, featured "Eighties" as the A-side. Also, the 7" single was sold with a bonus 7" single of "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)". The single reached number sixty in the UK Singles Chart,[2] but received less recognition than the 1992 song "Come as You Are" by the US band Nirvana, which had a similar riff. A short snippet of "Eighties" was the opening theme to the short-lived 2002 Fox sitcom That '80s Show.

"A New Day" is a non-album single by Killing Joke. It was released in July, 1984, under E'G Records as a 12" and 7" single. This is the first non-album single by Killing Joke to produce a music video. The 12" single featured a dub mix of "A New Day" as an A-side, and "A New Day" was a B-Side. The 7" single featured a shorter version of "A New Day" as an A-Side and "Dance Day" was a B-Side. A completely different version of "A New Day", which was not a mix, later appeared on the 2008 reissue of Killing Joke's fifth studio album, Night Time. The single reached number fifty-one in the UK Singles Chart.

"You Trip Me Up" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain from their 1985 debut album Psychocandy. The track was released as the second single from the record through Blanco y Negro Records in May 1985. The song was written by band members William Reid and Jim Reid. The single reached number 55 on the UK Singles Chart.

Flag Day was the first single released by The Housemartins. Released in 1985, it peaked at #124 in the singles chart, and a re-recorded version of it appeared on the album London 0 Hull 4. Flag Day also appears on the compilations Now That's What I Call Quite Good, Soup and as a shorter live version on Live at the BBC.

The first of two EPs released in 1984, Remote Luxury is one of the more subdued works in the Church's catalog. The release carried on the mix of guitars and keyboard effects of the previous year's Seance, but this time in a lighter, more acoustic setting. Without any standout singles, it made little commercial impact, but showcased guitarist Marty Willson-Piper's lead vocals for the first time since 1982's The Blurred Crusade.

"Upside Down" is the first single from the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. The song was written by William Reid and Jim Reid, and was produced by The Jesus and Mary Chain. The b-side is a cover of a Syd Barrett song and was produced by Joe Foster.

At the time the band was formed by Jim Reid (vocals), William Reid (guitar), Douglas Hart (bass) and Murray Dalglish (drums).

The sleeves for the first 1.000 copies (in red with black words) were printed by Bobby Gillespie (the next drumer in the band) in Glasgow, and featured handwritten messages from the group. The next copies were in black with red words. In 1985 the single was re-released with a totally different sleeve but same catalogue number.

The Icicle Works' self-titled debut as a whole is an excellent example of post-punk power and beauty. "Chop the Tree" alone is something of a lost classic, with Hugh Jones' note-perfect production, Sharrock's pounding, complex rhythm attack, and McNabb's exquisite singing providing one heck of a start. Indeed, McNabb here sounds like a clear precursor to singers like Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy and the equal of the precise diction and passion of Edwyn Collins. When it comes to the hits, "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" is another prime vocal showcase, with a sparkling guitar/keyboard lead arrangement and a constantly shifting but never pointlessly show-off bass/drums pace. Frankly, the members of U2 must have wished they could be so emotional and so soaring at this point in their careers. As for "Birds Fly," the song stands as a joyous rave-up of quick drums and shimmering guitars with an inspiring, frenetic chorus tempered by a gentle, half-whispered conclusion. Further examples of the group's abilities crop up song for song: the amazing guitar break and serene conclusion of "Reaping the Rich Harvest," the clean crisp flow of "As the Dragonfly Flies" interrupted by a down and dirty guitar line, the soft pipe start to "Lovers' Day," and more. Concluding with the slow burn fire of "Nirvana," The Icicle Works is early-'80s U.K. rock at its considerable best.

Combining intelligent, post-punk rock with lyrical astuteness, Seven Singles Deep takes seven of the Icicle Works' best tracks and teams them up with another seven songs that are lesser-known but are just as strong. With "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" representing their most famous single, which is mixed differently but not terribly, the other tracks that comprise this makeshift best-of similarly expose Robert Ian McNabb's intelligent writing and U2-like songcraft. Although the first seven tracks are alternate versions of the originals, the only real difference is that they're longer renditions. "Hollow Horse" and "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" represent the Icicle Works' brisk but melodious grit, while "When It All Comes Down" and "Horses" instantaneously separate them from other U.K. bands of the time by way of genuine intensity and straight-ahead spunk. The other seven songs vividly illustrate McNabb's effective use of writing, focusing on his outlook of love and politics without plunging into conceptual confusion. Appealingly smart and even abstract at times, Seven Singles Deep presents a panoramic view of this somewhat quieted English band. "Nirvana," the band's first single, somehow fails to surface on this collection.

A reuntied Jerry's Kids returns in 1989 and the results are still pretty good. Some good chaotic hardcore, but sadly to much filler to make for an all around strong listen. Worth picking up for the fan, or the hardcore freak.

Despite lacking what is by far and away their best song, "Worlds Apart" (and one of their other best songs, "Pilots Of Beka"), this is a fascinating listen for fans of this band. There are interview snippets interspersed throughout, as well as ads for things such as the debut album by Fine Young Cannibals and Targa car tape decks. Highlights: "The Other Extreme," "Maybe This Time," "Church Of The Cold." This LP should have paved the way for CWN to become fairly big stars, since it was apparently played in its entirety on lots of radio stations across the U.S.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Cactus World News wastes no time in making a first impression on its debut album Urban Beaches. The opening track "Worlds Apart" explodes from the speakers with screeching, reverberating guitars, tumbling drums, and fervent vocals. The anthemic chorus and breathtaking energy of "Worlds Apart" will remind listeners of U2's "I Will Follow" in its feel and execution. However, despite similarities to the music of fellow Irish band U2, Urban Beaches is a smart, hypnotically melodic album bristling with youthful exuberance and sparkling musicianship. The impassioned singing of Eoin McEvoy on "Worlds Apart," "In a Whirlpool," "The Promise," and "The Bridge" is contagious; after hearing him bellow "Worlds apart, worlds apart/Closer than I've ever been/To you" a few times, listeners will find themselves mouthing the words or perhaps singing it in the shower. Frank Kearns' driving, electrifying riffs magnify the urgency in McEvoy's voice; nearly every track has thrilling, dramatic guitar playing. Urban Beaches should've been a hit in the U.S.; instead, it became a buried treasure in the cutout bins.

If you object to me by putting your music on my blog,please inform me to remove it. Blogger's and the likes Please go and buy the original Lp/Cd or whatever format you lot like these day's...any comment and suggestions are all welcome.